Overshoe.



.PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

H. OSULLIVAN.

OVERSHOE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 2, 1901.

NITED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

HUMPHREY OSULLIVAN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

OVEIRSHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,371, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed February 2, 1901. Serial No. 45,760.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUMPHREY OSULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overshoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to overshoes.

An overshoe as now ordinarily constructed is made of a size and shape to snugly fit all portions of the shoe to which it is to be applied in order to insure its being securely retained on the shoe while in use. This snug fit is objectionable, as an annoying and injurious pressure is exerted on the foot of the wearer and especially on the fore part. Moreover, the overshoe acts to effectually prevent ventilation of the foot and renders the foot hot and uncomfortable. The necessity of a snug-fitting overshoe also adds to the difii culty of fitting a shoe of any particular size or style and requires the manufacturer to furnish and the retail dealer to keep in stock an endless variety of overshoes.

In order to obviate the necessity of a snugfitting overshoe, various expedients have been devised, such as projections on the inner surface to frictionally engage the heel portion of the shoe and elastic bands to form a cincture to bind the heel of the shoe. Such devices have, however, added to the cost of manufacture and have been only partially successful in accomplishing the result sought to be attained, as while they allow a comparatively loose fit of the fore part they necessitate a snug fit of the back part and of the heel. As the heels of shoes vary in size and shape, these devices do not overcome the difiiculty of properly fitting a shoe of any particular size or style. Moreoyer, overshoes provided with these devices fit closely around the heel portion or back of the shoe and when the overshoe is high in the back it extends above the portion of the shoe protected by the counter and exerts an annoying and injurious pressure on the foot of the wearer at this point,

besides rendering it difficult to put on or take off the overshoe.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved overshoe which will loosely fit a tures incident to prior overshoes are obviated. a

With this object in view my invention consists in the overshoe hereinafter described and claimed.

' A rubber overshoe embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a view thereof in side elevation, the rear portion being in section and a shoe inserted therein being shown in dotted lines. The essential features of this rubber consist of a lip arranged to engage the breast of the heel of a shoe inserted therein and a back portion the curvature of which is less than the curvature of the back of the shoe, whereby the back portion of the overshoe extends above the point of engagement with the shoe.

Referring to the drawing, the lip is shown at 1 and projects inwardly from the breast-of the heel of the overshoe, preferably atits upper edge. This lip is preferably formed of rubber and integral with the breast of the heel.

2 indicates the back of the overshoe. This portion of the overshoe is not formed to snugly fit the back portion of the shoe, as in prior overshoes, but has a less amount of curvature than the back portion of the shoe-- that is, it deviates less from a straight line. As a result of this construction the back portion of the overshoe engages the shoe 3 at thehighest point 4: of its back portion, but does not press against other points. The shoe 3 is thus forced forward into the overshoe and firmly gripped between the lip 1, which en gages the breast of the heel, and the back 2, which presses against the highest portion of the back of the shoe, whichportion is supported by the stiff counter within the shoe. It will be seen that the overshoe will be securely held on the shoe regardless of the shape of curely upon shoes of different styles.

the heel. It will also be seen that the fore part of the overshoe may fit the shoe loosely and that the upper edge of the back portion may also be a loose fit without detracting from the security with which the overshoe is held, whereby all objectionable pressure both on the fore part and on the back above the counter is avoided. As shown, the upper edge of the back of the overshoe stands away from the back of the shoe slightly, which allows the overshoe to be readily slipped onto the shoe and also allows the wearer to grasp and remove the overshoe. By arranging the lip 1 at the upper edge of the breast of the heel the lip engages the heel of the shoe near the sole, and thus any danger of tearing off the top lift of the shoe is avoided.

The overshoe above described as embodying my invention is of simple and cheap construction. It does not act to exert objectionable pressure upon any portlon of a shoe to which it is applied, and it will be held se- So far as I am advised as to the state of the art, my invention for the first time provides an overshoe characterized by these desirable features.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. An overshoe, having a lip to engage the breast of the heel and a back of less curvature than the back of a shoe on which the overshoe is normally adapted to fit without constriction of the forward part of the shoe, the back of the overshoe being arranged with respect to the said lip so that the overshoe will grip the shoe firmly between the lip and an intermediate part of the inner surface of the back, while the overshoe fits loosely on the shoe at all other points and flares away therefrom at the upper part of the back, substantially as described.

2. An overshoe in which the space between the upper inner surface of the breast of the heel and an intermediate part of the inner surface of the back is less than the corresponding dimension of a shoe upon which the overshoe is normally adapted to fit without constriction of the forward part of the shoe, while the upper part of the back is less constricted than the counter of the said shoe, so that the overshoe will grip the shoe firmly between the two first-mentioned points while being loose thereupon at all other points and separated therefrom at the upper part of the back, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUMPHREY OSULLIVAN. 

